Canadian Magazine Industry News
29 August 2011,     TORONTO
Digital magazine Torontoist redesigned
TORONTO–Digital magazine Torontoist has received a facelift, which could be good news for its advertisers, according to its publisher.

Ken Hunt said the ads on the redesigned site have been brought "into line in terms of sizes and capabilities with the rest of St. Joseph’s online titles ... this makes it much easier to coordinate campaigns between sites and have common buys, especially with Torontolife.com and Torontoist."

Screenshot of the redesigned Torontoist
Screenshot of the redesigned Torontoist


The redesign can help Torontoist advertisers be better seen, noted Hunt, who explained all ads on the page can be synched for a campaign. Also, Torontoist can now run double-sized big boxes in the right rail (300x600 pixels instead of 300x250).

Meanwhile, there are close to 20 versions of a new Torontoist logo to reflect Toronto landmarks and events including Pride, Woofstock, and Toronto Beer Week, explained a release from Torontoist. The new "fresh clean layout" also serves up easier navigation and better readability, added Hunt.

 

New Torontoist logos featuring City Hall and ROM
New Torontoist logos featuring City Hall and ROM
 
 

“We've attempted to keep things familiar, simple, and useful. Torontoist’s editorial content has always been great, but our design was not as inviting or modern as it should have been,” said Hunt. “With the relaunch, our design now meets the high standards set by our editorial content.”

The logos were designed by Marc Lostracco, who explains the site's redesign in a Torontoist article. "Marc is a former editor-in-chief of Torontoist and a very talented graphic designer," noted Hunt.

Lostracco notes in the article, "We knew that the most important element of the new Torontoist had to be better readability. We’ve moved the articles to the left side of the page, cut the clutter, and chosen an attractive embedded web font (Open Sans, created by Steve Matteson)."

He said "assembling the new Torontoist was like putting together a puzzle" noting the "business side" drove some of the design — as in, where to place ads. Other site enhancements include current TTC service alerts; an "Editor's Picks" section to highlight must-read stories; and a banner with quick links to "crucial information and breaking stories." In addition, photo galleries appear in a separate interface, "allowing for better presentation and easier navigation. Standalone slideshows are now directly linkable."

Torontoist covers news, arts, events, culture, transit, politics, photography, public spaces, food and more. Torontoist is published by St. Joseph Media.
— Jeff Hayward
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Wow, Torstar really seems to be on a mission to bankrupt one magazine after another....
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Full of terrific information, Thanks!...
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